Mail box



May 22,. 1934. c. G. ovERMYER K 1,959,963

MAIL Box Original Filed Jan. 4, 1952 Patented May 22,v 1934 UNITED STATES MAIL BOX Charles G. Overmyer, Hartford City, Ind.

Application January 4, 1932, Serial No. 584,689

Renewed October 14, 1933 8 Claims. (Cl. 232-17) This invention relates to mail boxes for use on residences and the like, one of the objects being to provide a glass body having simply constructed metal portions constituting the top and bottom thereof and providing means for allowing the convenient insertion and removal of mail while at the same time protecting the contents of the box from moisture.

A further object is to combine attaching means with the end closures whereby when the box is fastened to a wall or the like the several parts are held against separation.

Another object is to provide a simple and effective means for holding a name card in the box where it will be displayed through the transparent wall.

Another object is to provide a box which is attractive in appearance and so constructed as to allow quantity production at low cost.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described andvclaimed, it

vbeing understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made withiny the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawing Figure 1 is a front elevation, a portion being broken away.

Figure 2 isa section on line 2--2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is'a section through a modified form of top plate and the adjacent portion of the box.

Figure 4 is a section vthrough a portion of a modified form of bottom plate, a part ofthe glass structure also being shown in section.

Referring to the figures by characters of rei.-` erence, 1 designates a box formed of glass and constituting the body of the device, the same being open at the bottom while the top has a raised portion 2 in which is formed a mail receiving slot 3. A bead or rib 4 is formed on the body and extends around the bottom thereof while another bead or rib 5 is extended around and formed integral with the top portion.

Resting on the top of the body back of the raised portion 2 is a plate 6 having an upstanding ear 7 or the like adapted to be attachedto a wall or the like by a screw, nail or other fastening means. To the front edge of this plate is hingedly connected a cap 8 constituting a lid adapted to extend over the slot 3 to close it. The

lid also normally surrounds this raised portion 2 so as to prevent moisture from` draining into the slot. By swinging the cap or lid upwardly and backwardly it is possible to insert mail readily into the slot.

A bottom plate 9 bears against the bottom of Athe glass body 1 and has an opening 10 which matches the opening in the body. An attaching" flange 11 is extended upwardly from the back edge of the plate back of the body and is adapted to receive screws 12, nails, or the like for fastening itto a wall or other support. These same fastening means can also be used for attaching a rack .13 for holding bulky mail. Thisrack includes a resilient wire bent to form arms 14 hav- 70 ing fastener-receiving eyes 15, and an intermediate gripping loop 16.

The bottom plate can be .secured to the body 1` by integral resilient tongues 17 which are adapted to snap over the rib 4 at the several sides of the 75 body. Obviously when the two plates 6 and` 9 are fastened to a wall or the like they will hold the body 1 securely in place so that the parts cannot become' separated accidentally. While the tongues have been shown tted snugly against so rib 4 in Figures 1 and 2 it is to be understood that they could be curled outwardly as at 18 in Figure 4 to facilitate attachment of the plate 9 to the body 1.

Lugs 19 are pressed downwardly from the plate 85 9 at the sides of the opening 10 close to the back thereof and these provide bearings for receiving studs 20 projecting laterally from a bottom closure 21. This closure laps plate 9 and is adapted to swing relative thereto `as shown by full and dotted lines in Figure 2. It has a tongue 22 extending forwardly and terminating in a resilient clip 23 for snapping into engagement with rib 4 to hold the closure shut. An'ear 24 is extended downwardly from plate 9 and is adapted to Q5 project through an opening 25 in tongue 22 when the closure is shut. This ear can receive a padlock or the like for fastening the closure.

A shield 26 is'extended upwardly from the back edge of closure 21 and is adapted to bear against l190 the back of the body 1. 'Ihus 'mail deposited in the box will be positioned in front of the shield and Awill b'e guided forwardly and downwardly when' the closure 21 is opened.

A flange 27 is bent upwardly from the bottom 195 plate 9 and is adapted to press against the front wall of body 1. Thus it can be used as a clip for holding a name card C in place within the body where it can be seen through the transparent wall.

Instead of providing a top plate of the form .110'

shown in Figures 1 and 2 it can be made as in Figure 3 wherein the plate 28 has two depending tongues 29 and 30. 'I'he tongue 29 is angular and hooked into slot 32 and under the top of.

body 33 While tongue 30 is snapped into engagement with rib 34. In other respects the top is the same as already described.

While the loop 16'is used primarily as a rack for holding'bulky mail, it also has the further advantage of limiting the downward swinging movement of the closure 21. The clip 23 will drop into contact with the loop in order to produce the result mentioned. The clip 23 can be so shaped and proportioned to constitute a stop for mail which would otherwise fall to the ground when the closure is opened against the loop 16.

What is claimed is:

1. A mail box including a body open at the bottom and having a slotted raised portion at its top, separately removable plates bearing against the top and bottom, fastener receiving means on the plates for attachment to a supporting structure, a cap hingedlyconnected to the top plate for closing the slot and extending around the raised portion, and a closure for the bottom of the body hingedly connected to the bottom plate.

'2..A mail box including a glass body open at the bottom and having a slot in the top, separately removable plates bearing against the top and bottom of the body and detachably connected thereto, fastener receiving'means on the plates for attachment to a supporting structure thereby to hold the plates assembled with the body, a bottom closure hingedly connected to the bottom plate, a resilient element thereon for frictional engagement with the body to hold the closure shut and cooperating means on the bottom plate and closure for engagement with a lock.

3; A mail box including a glass body open at the bottom and having a mail receiving slot, a top plate having a tongue hooked into the slot, ribs on the body, a bottom plate, resilient means on the two plates for frictionally engaging the respeotive ribs, means on the respective plates for fastening them` to a supporting structure thereby to hold the plates against separation from the body, and means carried by the bottom plate for closing the bottom of the body.

4. A mail box including a body, plates engaging the top and bottom of the body, means for fastening the plates to a supporting structure, top and bottom .closures carried by thev respective body, means for attaching the plates to a supplates, and a relatively broad clip on the bottom closure, means on the body for engagement by the clip to hold said closure shut, said clip being extended upwardly from the closure thereby to constitute a stop for mail gravitating along the closure when opened downwardly.

5. A mail box including a body, plates engaging the top and bottom of the body for attachment to a supporting structure, top and bottom closures carried by the respective plates, and means depending from the bottom plate for limiting the downward movement of the bottom closure when opened, said means constituting a holder for bulk mail.

6. A mail box including a body, plates engaging the top and bottom of the body for attachment to a supporting structure, top and bottom closures carried by the respective plates, means depending from the bottom plate for holding bulk mail and for engaging the bottom closure when opened, thereby to hold the closure in position to support mail released from the body and means carried by the bottom closure for holding said closure in shut position and for stopping released mail when the closure is supported in open position against the bulk holder.

7 A mail box including a body open at the bottom and having a slot in the top thereof, separate plates bearing against the top and bottom of the port, means on the bottom plate adapted to be snapped into engagement with the body, a clipping member extending from the bottom plate into the body and cooperating with one wall of the body to constitute a card holder, and a closure hingedly connected to the bottom plate.

8. A mail box including a body open at the bottom and having a slot in the top thereof, separate plates bearing against the top and bottom of the body, means for attaching the plates to a 1 .A

the body. i i

c CHARLES G. OVERMY'ER. 

